Lubricating system for the periphery of tires on landing gears for airplanes



Dec. 29, 1953 J H WINTERRINGER 2,664,256

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR THE PERIPHERY OF TIRES ON LANDING GEARS FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 12, 1950 INVENTOR. JOHN H. WINTERRINGER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1953 LU roA'rINc SYSTEM? or; rue- 121251131 ERYGF TIRES ON LANDING"GEARS FOR,"

, AIRPLANES- John H. Winterringer, Yakima Wash Application September 12, 1950,.Sritl'Nbt184,468

My invention relates to improvement in lubricating system for the periphery of tires on landing gears for airplanes, and the primary object of the same is to reduce the frictional drag of the wheels of the landing gear on contacting the runway.

In the landing of airplanes, the landing wheels are relatively at a standstill when contacting the runway. Considerable friction is developed between the tires and the runway, but with my invention this friction is reduced by applying lubrication to the periphery of the tire and to the runway at the point of contact. This material may be either a liquid or powder, depending upon which is best suited.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means of applying this lubricant under the control of the pilot and independent of the power system of the airplane.

These and other incidental objects will be ap parent in the drawings, specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial plan view of a conventional type airplane incorporating my new and improved apparatus for applying a lubricant to the landing gear.

Figure 2 is a side view of an airplane, having my new and improved device for applying a lu bricant to the peripheries of the tires and runway at the point of contact.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of Fi ure 2, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, partially broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is a front view of the landing gear, having my lubricant applicator a plied thereto. This view is taken on line 46 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

In the drawings I illustrate the landing gear assembly in lowered or landing position. My invention consists of applying a spray nozzle 2 to the landing gear by any suitable means, as for instance the same may be clamped to the wheel bracket 3 by the clamp 4. The lubricant is delivered to the nozzle by way of the flexible tubing 5 from a supply line 6. v

The supply line 6 has a shut ofi valve 1 to be operated by the pilot by way of the control rod 3 from a control station 9. A supply tank ill located within the fuselage supplying a lubricant H to the supply line 6 to the valve 7, either by gravity or by the booster pump l2. The said booster pump is of well known practice within airplane gasoline tanks. This pump is controlled by the pilot from the control station 9 through the control line [3, which may be either mechanical or electrical.

In the operation of my new and improved lubricating device for airplane landing gears, the pilot operates a control lever M at the control station 9 which will open the valve 7, permitting gards to the supply of lubricant or controls in de I tail, as the operation of my invention is the principle of applying a lubricant, either in a liquid or powder to the wheels and to the runway while making landings, thereby as stated above, reducing friction and shock. It is desirable to have a mechanism that will operate independent of the power of the airplane, as for instance in forced landings and the like.

This lubricant can be either applied by gravity or by a booster pump, as it requires little force to apply the same due to the fact that the plane is travelling at a high rate of speed and when a lubricant leaves the nozzle tip E5, the wind velocity thoroughly sprays the same over the periphery of the tire and on the landing surface.

I have illustrated in the drawings a' second discharge nozzle I 8, controlled by the valve l9, which could be used for discharging the in" bricant from the tank I0 in the event it was desired to lighten the load of the plane or for spraying purposes, although this is not the object of my invention, it is one application that could be incorporated relative to the supply tank It.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible.

What I claim is: r

1. In a lubricating system for the peripheries of tires on landing gears for airplanes, the combination with the airplane and landing gears adapted to be raised or lowered, a nozzle clamped to each landing gear at one side thereof and extending downwardly and rearwardly in front of the periphery of the tire tread to spray a lubricant against the periphery of the tire and a runway at the point of contact of the tire with runway and onto the latter, a lubricant supply the runway and onto the latter, a lubricant supply tank in the airplane, a discharge line from the tank to the nozzle including a flexible section attached to the nozzle where the latter is connected to the landing gear allowing raising and lowering of the landing gear while maintaining connection with the nozzle, a control valve in the line, and means in the airplane for controlling said valve.

2. A lubricating system as defined in claim 1, 10

wherein a booster pump is provided for forcing the lubricant from the tank to the line, and means in the airplane controlling the operation of said booster pump.

3. A lubricating system as defined in claim 2, wherein the means for controlling the valve and the means for controlling the operation of the booster pump are located adjacent the airplane control means for operation by the pilot of the airplane, and an additional valve controlled discharge for the lubricant from the tank.

JOHN H. WINTERRINGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,138,030 Giovannoli Nov. 29, 1938 2,386,301 Duke Oct. 9, 1945 2,466,150 Burt Apr. 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,301 Great Britain of 1906 379,153 France Sept. 2, 1907 522,018 France Mar. 18, 1921 997,480 France Sept. 12, 1951 

